CATTS Class Screening Service

CATTS provides a Class Screening service for Preschoolers or Infants/Senior Infant level in Primary Schools.

The screening can be performed by either a Speech & Language Therapist (SLT Screening), Occupational Therapist (OT Screening), or a combination of both professionals to give a Joint OT and SLT Screening for a class.

What benefit would a Class Screening have?

There are many Red Flag signs in the early years which may be spotted by a routine standardised screening of a pupil. In short, a screening can catch those early signs that may possibly give rise for concern later.

The outcome of the screening is usually a short report for the pupil’s parent, along with a debrief at class level for the teacher.

What a Class Screening is not:

A Class screening is not an assessment for any pupil which the teacher or parent may have expressed a concern about regarding motor ability, sensory awareness, or speech development. Where you as a teaching or childcare professional have a concern about a pupil, or pupils in your class, please contact us regarding an OT or SLT Assessment to determine any needs.

If you have a concern regarding a pupil and require assistance getting your concern heard at parent or guardian level, we have a Red Flag document which has been found useful by teachers and childcare professionals in the past in explaining when a delay may be a cause for concern.

In order to provide a screening, we would require:

Parental Permission for each child (CATTS will send you a form you can use, or we can use the school’s own one if easier). When we do not receive a parental consent letter, we cannot perform a screening or any other observation (informal or otherwise) on that pupil.

Use of a spare room or quiet corner of a classroom.

We usually try to keep the cost of screenings nominal, usually €20 or €30 per child, which is payable on the day.